been a wild month around these parts. adam has been on a busy ward month. and GUESS WHAT (for the 1 or 2 of you who don't already know)?! we are having another baby this fall. he/she (we may not find out this time around) is due on graham's second birthday. we are so thankful for this little blessing, but i must say i have felt sicker than ever this time around. i think it is mostly because my two adorable, messy bugs have been pretty needy lately and it is just hard to eat and rest when you need to. plus, toddlers are such disgusting eaters that it is hard not to be nauseated even when i'm not pregnant. i'm starting to feel a little better though and i am so thankful for that!
in the last month, we have endured two bouts of stomach flu (only marit got the 2nd one thankfully), and two lengthy colds and poor marit ended up with a pretty bad sinus infection this weekend. after four days of high fever, a few doses of antibiotics, a lot of motrin, marit's eye started getting really swollen, then red, then purple/black eye looking. you know your husband is a resident when he says "i'm afraid she might have periorbital cellulitis." i mean, who else has ever even heard of that? so he took her to the ER and they were reassuring, but added another antibiotic and i fear her tiny little tummy is not enjoying all these medicines...she is usually such a healthy girl. i have seriously never seen her so pitiful...falling asleep in the grocery cart, pretty much only saying with significant amount of fuss "i wanna carry you mommy." little graham has been a trooper, but he is at an into-everything-kind of grumpy because i'm getting molars-stage. all that to say, i am SO, SO, SO thankful that marit slept last night without waking up burning up and that they are both napping now so i can record a few things.
in her misery, we watched more veggie tales, sesame street, and my new favorite thing to let her watch are these short little podcasts done by They Might Be Giants. we don't have a tv and we watch things on our computer occasionally through netflix or youtube. i like that these are so so creative, educational, and the music is really well-done (anyone else get really annoyed by bad kids music?). here are a couple of my favorites...
they have a bunch of letters and numbers ones for littler people as well.
may as well share this sermon that we were so encouraged by yesterday about holy ambition. we had to miss church due to sickness and adam working, but what a blessing to still be able to hear solid teaching to feed our souls. we so missed our local body though. piper is taking a sabbatical for a few months and i hope it is so refreshing for him and his sweet family. our little family has been deeply blessed by his ministry, writing, and preaching. watch or listen to this sermon if you have time:
in closing this totally random, lengthy post, i will share pictures of our recent much-needed family day at the zoo. we had so much fun, took few pictures because one of us was holding someone most of the time. actually, that will have to be tomorrow because i can't get the pics to load and someone is crying...
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
when family comes
we hang out
lounge
get silly
eat extra treats
get silly with hats
and sometimes they bring incredible presents...like this beautiful painting my mom did in no less than 40hrs for our living room. i love it! thanks mom!
here it is closer-up
lounge
get silly
eat extra treats
get silly with hats
and sometimes they bring incredible presents...like this beautiful painting my mom did in no less than 40hrs for our living room. i love it! thanks mom!
here it is closer-up
why yes, it is eleven feet long
but i've always wanted an old pew for our old house. someone my sister knew was getting rid of it and we love that people can gather there while i cook!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
one of the many, many lessons i keep learning
my sweet friend lauren wrote a wonderful post the other day about her struggle to enjoy the process, the learning, the in-between times instead of living life longing for the ultimate goal of said process. i feel like that is something i/we as a family keep coming back to.
we have been supporting adam through medical training for nearly five (with at least 2.5 yrs to go!) years now and it is so, so easy to live in the future when he is done training, acquired a job, paid off loans, and we can finally start to enjoy life and start living. i often catch my mind going there longing for the day when we "arrive." do you know what happens here? my idol-factory of a heart has created an idol of "one day." i feel completed once i arrive "there" instead of sinking my heart-roots down deeply into Jesus and allowing Him to sustain us by His abundant grace and contenting myself in Him.
i was reminded of this post about impatience being an unwillingness to suffer. as Christians, we are often called to suffer as we live amongst the broken, we ourselves get sick and sin. we long for the day when all will be made right by the Lord, but we still must live here and be sanctified here. we live in a tension.
i look forward to the day when my kids play well together, when they have learned patience and kindness, when they sleep through the night without fears, sickness, feedings, when we are done having babies (we still would love more, but boy is it exhausting!), when we finally decide on how to educate them, when we are able to travel as a family without trips being completely exhausting and stressful, when adam and i have adequate time together without feeling like we are in constantly in danger of losing touch, when i can run and sing as much as i would like to (that's in heaven i think) and the list goes on...but if i live there...in the future, i miss the joys the Lord teaches our hearts in the trenches, in the struggle, in the waiting.
one of my very favorite verses is micah 6:8 and we heard it in church this morning sung beautifully...
"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?"
the content of that verse is a lot of why our little family feels called to live where we do, in the city with lots of brokenness surrounding us. we want justice for our neighbors (why we push back against the drug-dealing and prostitution) we want to extend kindness (why we struggle, struggle, struggle to wrap our minds around homelessness and how to love them well and carefully). we want to "walk humbly," knowing that the Lord redeems and He has dignified and privileged us to be a part of His kingdom redemptive plan. He does not need us at all as He is sovereign over the entire universe, but humbles us by indwelling us and using our feeble efforts for His glory.
i noticed something new about this verse this morning though. we get so discouraged with the slowness of change, the woman who tearfully told us of how she lost everything (family, stability, jobs) because of her crack addiction, but she is powerless to stop on her own. though we fight and fight, our neighbors still hand out the very thing that is killing so many. but micah 6:8 does not say that the Lord requires you to obtain justice, but to "pursue justice." it does not say to obtain kindness, but to "love kindness." it does not say to arrive at humility, but to "walk humbly." it is active, process, working not arriving, striving, struggling, living in the moment kind of stuff. that is what the Lord wants. if that is the case, then that needs to be what i want. billy graham used to say "the Lord rewards faithfulness, not fruitfulness." i want to be faithful. oh Jesus, soften my heart!
also from this morning's service and my prayer:
confession
"Your asked for my hands, that you might use them for your purpose. I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them, for the work was hard. You asked for my mouth to speak against injustice. I gave you a whisper that I might not be accused. You asked for my eyes to see the pain of poverty. I closed them, for I did not want to see. You asked for my life, that you might work through me. I gave a small part, that I might not get too involved. Lord forgive my calculated efforts to serve you---only when it is convenient for me to do so, only in those places where it is safe to do so, and only with those who make it easy to do so. Father, forgive me, renew me, send me out as a usable instrument, that I might take seriously the meaning of your cross. Amen. "
we have been supporting adam through medical training for nearly five (with at least 2.5 yrs to go!) years now and it is so, so easy to live in the future when he is done training, acquired a job, paid off loans, and we can finally start to enjoy life and start living. i often catch my mind going there longing for the day when we "arrive." do you know what happens here? my idol-factory of a heart has created an idol of "one day." i feel completed once i arrive "there" instead of sinking my heart-roots down deeply into Jesus and allowing Him to sustain us by His abundant grace and contenting myself in Him.
i was reminded of this post about impatience being an unwillingness to suffer. as Christians, we are often called to suffer as we live amongst the broken, we ourselves get sick and sin. we long for the day when all will be made right by the Lord, but we still must live here and be sanctified here. we live in a tension.
i look forward to the day when my kids play well together, when they have learned patience and kindness, when they sleep through the night without fears, sickness, feedings, when we are done having babies (we still would love more, but boy is it exhausting!), when we finally decide on how to educate them, when we are able to travel as a family without trips being completely exhausting and stressful, when adam and i have adequate time together without feeling like we are in constantly in danger of losing touch, when i can run and sing as much as i would like to (that's in heaven i think) and the list goes on...but if i live there...in the future, i miss the joys the Lord teaches our hearts in the trenches, in the struggle, in the waiting.
one of my very favorite verses is micah 6:8 and we heard it in church this morning sung beautifully...
"He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?"
the content of that verse is a lot of why our little family feels called to live where we do, in the city with lots of brokenness surrounding us. we want justice for our neighbors (why we push back against the drug-dealing and prostitution) we want to extend kindness (why we struggle, struggle, struggle to wrap our minds around homelessness and how to love them well and carefully). we want to "walk humbly," knowing that the Lord redeems and He has dignified and privileged us to be a part of His kingdom redemptive plan. He does not need us at all as He is sovereign over the entire universe, but humbles us by indwelling us and using our feeble efforts for His glory.
i noticed something new about this verse this morning though. we get so discouraged with the slowness of change, the woman who tearfully told us of how she lost everything (family, stability, jobs) because of her crack addiction, but she is powerless to stop on her own. though we fight and fight, our neighbors still hand out the very thing that is killing so many. but micah 6:8 does not say that the Lord requires you to obtain justice, but to "pursue justice." it does not say to obtain kindness, but to "love kindness." it does not say to arrive at humility, but to "walk humbly." it is active, process, working not arriving, striving, struggling, living in the moment kind of stuff. that is what the Lord wants. if that is the case, then that needs to be what i want. billy graham used to say "the Lord rewards faithfulness, not fruitfulness." i want to be faithful. oh Jesus, soften my heart!
also from this morning's service and my prayer:
confession
"Your asked for my hands, that you might use them for your purpose. I gave them for a moment, then withdrew them, for the work was hard. You asked for my mouth to speak against injustice. I gave you a whisper that I might not be accused. You asked for my eyes to see the pain of poverty. I closed them, for I did not want to see. You asked for my life, that you might work through me. I gave a small part, that I might not get too involved. Lord forgive my calculated efforts to serve you---only when it is convenient for me to do so, only in those places where it is safe to do so, and only with those who make it easy to do so. Father, forgive me, renew me, send me out as a usable instrument, that I might take seriously the meaning of your cross. Amen. "
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
such a big girl!
she mostly uses the big potty now. she is still wearing a diaper at night for now, but i am really proud of her progress. she also loves to wear my shoes. that is one messy mudroom!
this bed was my grandmother's and char and i both slept on it. the bedding is from ikea. marit LOVES her "big girl bed!" it was originally white i think, but i remember choosing to paint it green when i was little. check out the size of that side-rail. adam picked it out:)
this bed was my grandmother's and char and i both slept on it. the bedding is from ikea. marit LOVES her "big girl bed!" it was originally white i think, but i remember choosing to paint it green when i was little. check out the size of that side-rail. adam picked it out:)
planting time
gladioli:
"helpers"
daisies, zinnias, cosmos, dianthus getting started inside
blurry mongrel who dug up quite a few bulbs last night (grrrr)
dirty cutie pies
soon to put blueberry bushes in the ground and when it is safely spring, herbs will come too.
"helpers"
daisies, zinnias, cosmos, dianthus getting started inside
blurry mongrel who dug up quite a few bulbs last night (grrrr)
dirty cutie pies
soon to put blueberry bushes in the ground and when it is safely spring, herbs will come too.
Monday, March 8, 2010
*friendly gold-finch that frequents our backyard
*warmer weather
*toddler giggles
*so much potty-training progress
*redemption of even the most broken lives
*good news from friends suffering much
*sister visit
*end of a deployment
*privilege of singing my faith
*corporate communion reminding me of
*a need that only my Savior can meet
*generous, loving, last-minute babysitter so that
*dear husband and i could share a peaceful meal
*God's faithfulness and sustaining grace in our marriage in a busy, busy season
*neighbors from whom to borrow that last ingredient
*husband's courageous and yet compassionate heart
charcharbar's man is coming home!
here he is with his toes (they now have afghan sand between them):
Thursday, March 4, 2010
noted: one shallow, one deep
i'm trying not to compartmentalize my life, so i can put these two very unrelated quotes in one post right?
about hair:
"spring has ushered in a full-bodied, low-effort look."-real simple in march
if anything described my hair routine, it would be "low-effort." not that i would change anything if it said spring was about high-effort, but maybe it will be fun to actually be in style for a season!
much, much more profound from our ladies Bible study:
"the death and resurrection of Christ mean more than the definitive break with sin and its power. The death and resurrection of Christ are the abiding sources of sanctifying grace and therefore ethical renewal. Christ rose from the dead through the glory of the Father and by the exceeding greatness of his power. And it is that same power exemplified in the resurrection of our Lord from the dead that is operative in believers." -John Murray
isn't that wonderful??!! "abiding" "sanctifying grace" "operative"...i love it. this Gospel living is so much more about the grace and power of Christ than about my own feeble efforts.
about hair:
"spring has ushered in a full-bodied, low-effort look."-real simple in march
if anything described my hair routine, it would be "low-effort." not that i would change anything if it said spring was about high-effort, but maybe it will be fun to actually be in style for a season!
much, much more profound from our ladies Bible study:
"the death and resurrection of Christ mean more than the definitive break with sin and its power. The death and resurrection of Christ are the abiding sources of sanctifying grace and therefore ethical renewal. Christ rose from the dead through the glory of the Father and by the exceeding greatness of his power. And it is that same power exemplified in the resurrection of our Lord from the dead that is operative in believers." -John Murray
isn't that wonderful??!! "abiding" "sanctifying grace" "operative"...i love it. this Gospel living is so much more about the grace and power of Christ than about my own feeble efforts.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
marit's favorite song lately
greetings from our very imperfect little world!
not really a video, but the audio is worth it. over the rhine makes me smile, even when they are singing about poop. marit is doing SO well with potty training, but we have been staying close to home for the last week or so. i'm really proud of her. graham is obsessed with the potty as well:
we so enjoyed adam's elective month of february that allowed us to spend so much time with him. it was such a blessed breather. and we are back to the grind for march, april, may, june.
we finished the month with the stomach virus, which of course is miserable. however, i am so thankful that it happened during a week that adam was able to stay home for a couple days to help with sad babies and carpet cleaning...as usual, the Lord is gracious. all that to say that i just haven't been in a blogging mood lately. hopefully i'll get back into the swing of things eventually.
new table and chairs already resulted in quite a few bumps to the noggins
not really a video, but the audio is worth it. over the rhine makes me smile, even when they are singing about poop. marit is doing SO well with potty training, but we have been staying close to home for the last week or so. i'm really proud of her. graham is obsessed with the potty as well:
we so enjoyed adam's elective month of february that allowed us to spend so much time with him. it was such a blessed breather. and we are back to the grind for march, april, may, june.
we finished the month with the stomach virus, which of course is miserable. however, i am so thankful that it happened during a week that adam was able to stay home for a couple days to help with sad babies and carpet cleaning...as usual, the Lord is gracious. all that to say that i just haven't been in a blogging mood lately. hopefully i'll get back into the swing of things eventually.
new table and chairs already resulted in quite a few bumps to the noggins
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